The release I saw didn't have goaltenders on there, and it appears the YoungStars will be shooting on Martin Brodeur and the other all-star netminders in their game.

I like the spirit of having young players at the event, but you're going to be hard pressed to find fans in Atlanta who will know who most of these 'stars' are, let alone want to watch them skate around pylons. The problem for the NHL now is that most of the league's true young superstars will be playing in what Evgeni Malkin called the 'adult' game last year.

Maybe this will at least give little-known future stars like Perron and Enstrom exposure to a larger audience than they've had to this point.

I don't know what the format is for this game yet, but it's safe to say it'll be vastly different from last season's game given how well that one went over. One idea I had was to have the YoungStars compete in their own skills competition, and the top finishers could have a chance to topple some of the more established players.

Someone like Perron might even be able to challenge in something like the fastest skater competition.

So, would I be correct to assume that the youngstars game will count towards the point total of the East vs. West skills competition.

It's kind of disappointing that the game will be this short, but at least it will be given more significance.

Actually, I think if anything, this may be the best opportunity for the all-star goalies to show their stuff. No doubt the kids will be making a lot of cross-crease plays. This may as well replace the three-on-one (or three-on-zero was it?) relays.

Its so meaningless. I like Gagner a lot and he has a bright future but Tom Gilbert plays on the top pairing for the Oilers against their opponents' top lines while Cogliano centres Moreau and Pisani on a very effective line. Both guys are head and shoulders above Sam right now.

Am I the only one who thinks that Lucic will make some noise in this game? He might not be known for his scoring prowess or have slick dangles like Gagner, but he is a much stronger defensive player and more well rounded than most in this game.

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About Me

James has covered the NHL and the game of hockey since 2004, beginning with this website and continuing with The Globe and Mail (2008-16) and The Athletic. He is a member of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, a long-time radio analyst with TSN and was the NHL network manager at SB Nation from 2008 to 2010. A graduate of Thompson Rivers and Ryerson universities, James grew up in Kamloops, B.C. as a season ticket holder in the Blazers' glory years.

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